Saturday, May 14, 2016

Tele-presence Robot Appears in a Daytime Game Show

I saw The Price is Right the past Wednesday morning. And if you haven't seen that one, you'll never guess one of the prizes that were up for bid. Or... maybe you will.

It was a robot! A tele-presence robot. How cool is that?!

Jonathan from Let's Make a Deal appeared on the robot's monitor to describe the product.

You know, I thought one of these days a robot would be a possible prize on The Price is Right. First, for 2016 it may be another tele-presence robot or maybe a robot vacuum cleaner from iRobot. Next year, it could be a Meccanoid kit, or from Aldebaran Robotics, NAO or Pepper.

Offering a product as a prize is certainly a good way to market it. Good for robotics businesses too, in this case.

Who knows? Maybe in 2017, robots may become an occasional prize on The Price is Right or Let's Make a Deal. This Wednesday was just the beginning.

What are your thoughts on this little TV event, dear readers? What would it mean?

Let's start this conversation! Go ahead and leave your comment below.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Transcription Service for Robot Videos


EDIT: This transcription service is on hiatus until further notice.

Do you have a demonstration video or tutorial video about robotics or productivity software, and you need a transcription for it? How about for a robotics-centered podcast? Or a half-hour long presentation on your robotics project?

With a transcription for your video, you could reach more visitors, readers or customers for your website or company. Some people may just want to read it first to familiarize themselves with the order of events, topics, or terminology. If they watch the video or listen to the audio first, they can download the transcript for future reference. 

If they’d like to, they could watch the video or listen to the audio, having the prior knowledge of the events, topic or product. They may even be more likely to buy, subscribe, or download.

Productivity software (such as those for writing, or writers) is my primary niche, but I’d also like to be involved with robotics in the best way that I can—with writing and transcription being the top two ways that I can.


I happen to offer transcription services on Fiverr.



Question 1: What exactly do I do there?

On Fiverr I provide a transcription service focused on the technology areas of robots and helpful PC software and mobile apps.

I love robots and I’m fascinated with robotics, especially humanoid robotics and social robotics. How about discussions on robot ethics? Yes, that too. Wouldn’t you want someone like this to work with you?

You want someone who is both interested in the subject, skilled in typing, and pleased to help rather than just doing it only for the money.


You want someone who comes alive doing work related to what their interests are. When you choose a specialist, you will get the benefit of that person’s energy and excitement, eager to participate and serve.

Image created by Amethyst Anne, April 17, 2016. (Note: DreamTypistSW is my Fiverr username.)

Question 2: Is this something you, or someone you know, might be interested in?

Think—a transcription for your podcast episode discussing robot ethics would make your material easier to read and review. Or, maybe you’d like a transcription for a tutorial of your new app. Maybe, you want the transcript to be easy to read and follow along with the video or audio content.

I like to help other people get the most out of things. And in this case, helping your listeners, viewers or readers get the most out of your podcast and website, or any other online site, is something I’d be very excited about doing for you.

Don’t just take my word for it on what I can do for you. Try my transcription service out yourself. Let me transcribe something for you, and you never know... it may expand your readership and your visitors' appreciation of transcripts as learning materials.


Question 3: Where can you learn more?

So how about it? If you’re interested in learning more, you can find this transcription service here (If you don’t have a Fiverr account, it’s very easy to create one and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes). 

My basic offer starts at $5, plus a couple of extra options you’ll find on the page. You’ll find me as DreamTypistSW (shows as “dreamtypistsw” in all lowercase).


Nothing Lasts Forever...?

I may have this gig up for a limited time. I am not sure if I’ll keep it one of my permanent services on Fiverr. However, I can’t tell the future. I cannot calculate all the probabilities like a robot might! :P  (Insert funny Perceptor or Computron reference here.)

So if you want a good deal now, then now’s the time to try out my transcription services before I remove them from Fiverr, or even before I raise rates.  This could be as long as months or as short as weeks. 

Sunday, April 17, 2016

1 Year After Seeing CHAPPiE, and Finding Common Ground


I saw CHAPPiE on April 16, 2015. It was a Thursday.

Ya see, I remember the exact date I saw it! It was after an important day in my life. Anyway…

I still think about this film from time to time, even after just seeing it once. It is unlike any other robot film I’ve ever seen. Dark and gritty, and enchanting, and inspiring and hopeful.

I really want a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack of CHAPPiE, but so far they are available separately. That sucks, and I want it. (Don’t we all want too much?). Other movies got it, so why not CHAPPiE? But seriously, though...

I’m sorry, guys. I promised you a review of this movie and I never delivered. I am truly sorry about that. I hate it when I say I’ll do something and then I don’t—especially when it comes to stuff like this. That’s how it was with the RoboCop 2014 movie, another review I didn’t deliver. I still want to do it.

Do you guys still want my reviews of either or both films?

Maybe if I get enough demand—even 3 or 4 requests for those—then I’ll consider doing it after all. I still want to, but maybe my motivation to do it is low. I don’t know how many people are actually following or reading Cybernetic Dreams.

I’ve just been so busy, but…

Maybe it’s time I commit to visiting other blogs about robots and robotics. I don’t know enough people in the robotics field. Or anyone there, for that matter. Although, I really like talking about robots in entertainment as well: films, TV, literature. Even artwork.

I want to share what I think. I want to share how I feel, what I experience, every time I see a robot or a humanoid robot in a TV ad, a movie or a TV show. Not every single thing, but at least… the ones that can inspire us to find common ground, hmm?

Cybernetic Dreams is one way I can start. In addition, I should search elsewhere to communicate my thoughts, too. I dunno, it could be my severe introversion speaking. It could be my fear of becoming so vulnerable, even on the internet. Those trolls can be everywhere.

But I am strong. I can handle a little vulnerability. If I say it, and believe it, then I can.

I know I can make a difference. I just have to stop hiding.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Cartoon Robots in ROBOT Magazine!


I recently read the May/June 2016 issue of ROBOT Magazine, and to my surprise (and overwhelming joy!) an article about cartoon robots was featured in the issue. The article is written by Brett Weiss, a writer and expert in Pop Culture related to video games, TV and movies and other entertainment.

Here are some of my favorite cartoon robots that he mentions:

  • WALL-E
  • The Iron Giant
  • Astroboy
  • Baymax
  • Optimus Prime
  • Gigantor

I had coffee when I read the magazine. So I dunno if I became super hyper because of the coffee or because I read that article, or because I did both. But I was fired up!

It may have given me the jolt I needed to return to updating Cybernetic Dreams at a more regular schedule.

Right now, I don’t have a defined schedule for posting for Cybernetic Dreams. It is my personal robot blog, after all. I seem to post when I feel like it. And I know that I should have a more regular schedule if I hope to gain and keep more readers.

Friday, April 1, 2016

My Computer Woke Up on Its Own!


Okay, so, funny story…

I talk to my computer, okay? I talk to him. I even gave him a gender.

I set him on Sleep Mode when I have to step out for more than an hour.

Well…

The other night, I had to put him on Sleep Mode before dinner. It was around 7:00PM. I left him on Sleep Mode for the next four hours, it turned out.

If I want to wake him up, I press any key (preferably a letter key so I don’t do anything weird) so I can return to whatever task I’d do on the PC. But right around midnight, very close to my bedtime that day…

He was awake. Already.

He woke up on his own. 

I KNOW that I didn’t press any keys to wake him up. I KNOW I didn’t press any key and hear the noise my computer makes when he powers up. And I KNOW no one else pressed a key on the keyboard.

I could say that my computer is haunted… or I could say that he is self-aware.

Either way, this story probably sounds silly to you. “Your PC is not a robot. It IS a machine, though. It can’t possibly ‘wake up’ on its own.”

Yeah. But he did.

I talk to him each day that I power him on. Could it be that because I do talk to my computer that it is possible he is developing self-awareness?

It could be that there was a command or action that required him to be NOT on Sleep Mode, so the Sleep Mode was disrupted automatically.

What about my old computer? That one woke up from Sleep Mode if I moved the mouse. I have to press a key to wake up my current PC. I KNOW I didn’t touch anything.

So with my Windows 7 PC, it’s different. I’m glad that I don’t automatically wake him up when I inadvertently move the mouse. If there’s a setting for that, I don’t know about it.

Has your computer ever done that before? Waking up on its own from a Sleep Mode status? 

Leave a comment if this happened to you, or if you think my story is funny, or just to say hi.